Sespe was founded on the ideal that everyone should have safe access to cannabis. The biggest danger any cannabis user faces is the legal system, which has been waging war against the citizens of this country for nearly a century. Legalization continues at a breathtaking pace, and for that we are grateful, but we must not forget the prisoners of the drug war who remain incarcerated.
Between the public hysteria surrounding the war on drugs and the resulting popularity of “tough on crime” legislation, we ended up with drug laws so unthinkably harsh that we now have individuals serving life without the possibility of parole for nonviolent offenses. Even with parole a possibility, drug offenses very frequently carry longer sentences than violent crimes, and the people doing the most time are often those who were the least involved; conspiracy law allows police and prosecutors to cast a wide net, and it is the most culpable parties who often have the most leverage to get themselves a better deal.
We have become involved with a number of organizations and individuals who fight this ongoing injustice, and we will feature their stories in this page. Currently, we feature the artwork of paraplegic “pot lifer” Michael Pelletier, hand-made aprons from Pot Fairy, and we support CanDo Clemency‘s efforts to educate the public, extend compassion to the incarcerated, and fight for their freedom.
